Here is a list of lentils’ names and their names in a few different Indian languages like English, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, and Marathi. Let’s take a look at them.
Most of the time, we reach out for meat or fish to fulfil our protein needs. But there is a massive chance that you cannot eat them for whatever reasons. This is where pulses and lentils come to your rescue.
Pulses or lentils are a great source of protein. That means it can be the go-to option for vegans. Moreover, India is a vegetarian country. Therefore, there is a mass usage of these legumes in Indian cuisine.
Not just the spicy main course is made out of these lentils and pulses, but many sweet dishes as well. E.g., moong dal halwa, green moong ladoo, chana dal barfi, etc.
Even though these pulses and lentils are extremely nutritious, some people have difficulty digesting them. To avoid that, soak them for a few hours, draining and rinsing them later before cooking. Doing this also reduces their cooking time for them.
Refer to the table below for information on the lentils’ names in English, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, etc.
| English | Bengali | Gujarati | Hindi | Marathi | Tamil |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengal Gram (split & skinned) | Chana dal, chane ki dal, Booter dal |
Harbaryachi dal, Chanyachi dal |
Kadalai paruppu | ||
| Bengal Gram Flour/Gram Flour | Bēsana | Caṇā nō lōṭa | Besan | Ḍāḷīcē pīṭha | Kadalai mavu |
| Bengal Gram Whole/ Black Chickpeas | Kālō grāma | Kāḷā Caṇā | kaala chana | Kāḷā harabharā | |
| Black Eyed Peas/Cow Pea | Lobiya | Chawli | Lobhiya, lobiya, chawli, chavli | Chavali | Karamani |
| Black Gram Skinned | Biuli Dal/Kolai Dal | Aḍadanī dāḷa | udad daal | Uḍīda ḍāḷa | Uḷuttam paruppu |
| White Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans | Chōlā | Kābulī cannā, | Kabuli channa, Safed chole, chole |
Kondai kadalai | |
| Field bean, Hyacinth bean, lablab |
Lablab ḍāla | Vaal | |||
| Green Gram Dal/Mung Bean | Muga ḍāla | Maganī dāḷa | Moong dala | Maganī dāḷa | |
| Green gram split | Moong chilka | Mugachi dal | |||
| Green gram whole | Moong sabut, mung sabut | Mug | Payaru | ||
| Horse Gram | Kulthi, kulith | Kollu | |||
| Lentil dal, pink lentil, red lentil | Lāla masura ḍāla | masoor daal | Lāla masūra | Civappu paruppu | |
| White Peas | Sādā maṭara | Saphēda vaṭāṇā | saphed matar | Pāṇḍharē vāṭāṇē | Veḷḷai paṭṭāṇi |
| Black Peas | Kala vatana | ||||
| Peas spilt, green peas spilt | Matar dal, green matar dal | ||||
| Pigeon Peas Split | ārahara masura ḍāla | arahara dāḷa | arahar kee daal | arahara masūra | Thuvarum paruppu |
| Red Kidney Beans | Rājamā | Rājamā | raajama | Rājamā | Rajma |
| Brown Lentils | masoor | Masoor | (Akkha) Masoor |
